����ý

Labour has set itself a deadline of mid-July to conclude an investigation into a leaked document on the party's handling of anti-Semitism allegations.

The dossier claimed anti-Jeremy Corbyn sentiment among Labour staff hindered efforts to tackle the issue within the party.

But others say the report was leaked in an attempt to "smear whistleblowers".

The National Executive Committee met earlier to discuss the reach of the investigation and its timetable.

The meeting was specially convened to discuss the leaked report.

Speaking afterwards, a party spokesman said the NEC would meet again "in due course" to decide who will lead the inquiry.

It is understood the party's ruling body then wants to deliver a conclusion on the investigation by the middle of July.

It was the first meeting of the NEC under the party's new leader, Sir Keir Starmer, and was held virtually due to the coronavirus outbreak.

He promised an independent inquiry into the contents of the report and how it was leaked after it became public over the Easter weekend.

Ahead of the meeting, a spokesman for Sir Keir said he wanted the investigation to be "swift" and completed within "a matter of months".

Sir Keir has the support of much of the NEC and has appointed allies who will back his plans.

But he may face opposition from some - particularly those members who supported Mr Corbyn.

����ý political correspondent Iain Watson said, although the issue appeared to be an unwelcome challenge for the new leader, Labour insiders said it could provide Sir Keir with an opportunity to change both a corrosive culture in the party and, ultimately, some of its current key staff.

Analysis by Political Correspondent Helen Catt

It's understood that Sir Keir Starmer's proposals for the investigation were largely agreed with only 'minor' tweaks made by the NEC.

His desire for a "swift" process seems to have been met too, with a timescale apparently set at just over a couple of months.

The big fight may be yet to come though.

Party sources suggest names for who will lead this investigation are likely to be put forward next week.

Substance and circumstance

The report was drawn up in March 2020 - before Mr Corbyn stepped down as leader.

The 860-page document is understood to be a draft drawn up to help inform the party's responses to an investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into anti-Semitism within Labour.

The report said there had been "a litany of mistakes, deficiencies, and missed opportunities" to tackle the issue, and "rigorous and far-reaching reforms" had not been made soon enough.

But it also included allegations that some party staff tried to undermine Mr Corbyn's leadership ahead of the 2017 election, along with WhatsApp messages from named individuals, appearing to make derogatory comments about Mr Corbyn, party policy and the membership.

The names were not redacted when the document was leaked to the media.

Many of those named in the report no longer work for the party and some are considering suing for breach of confidentiality.

And members of the GMB union branch at Labour HQ have accused the party's general secretary - and ally of Mr Corbyn - Jennie Formby, of leaking the report. The branch passed a motion last week saying they no longer had confidence that she was making their welfare and safety a priority.

But the left-wing Socialist Campaign Group - including former frontbenchers John McDonnell and Diane Abbott - is urging members of NEC to concentrate on the substance of the allegations, rather than the process by which it was leaked.

Labour said officials were working with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) over the leak and insisted it took its responsibility on data protection "extremely seriously".